10 Ways to Ensure Your Chicago Basement Remodel is a Success

1. Craft a Detailed Contract

The most crucial way to set your basement remodel in the Chicago North shore area up for success is to work with your contractor to create a detailed contract. Among other things, your contract should specify the scope of the work, material selections, and an estimated timeline for completion.

2. Know Your Contractor’s Daily Work Schedule

Within that estimated timeline, establish a daily work schedule. Knowing when to expect your contractor to be onsite can alleviate stress since it enables you and your family to establish work-around home routines during construction.

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3. Establish Modes of Communication and Contact with your Contractor

Now that you know when to expect workers onsite, find out who to expect. Make sure you meet your project manager, and establish the best ways to contact him should a question arise. Exchanging contact information and establishing hours of availability ahead of time will ensure smoother client/contractor relations as questions and concerns arise.

4. Work with Your Contractor to Pull Permits and Set Inspections

To further plan for your building schedule, ask your contractor what to expect concerning city timelines. Understand that your contractor is not solely responsible for your building timeline. You’ll also need to take into account the time it will take to obtain city permits and schedule building inspections.

5. Ensure a Waterproof Foundation

The number one most important construction-related concern when building a basement is water. Recognize that your contractor may need to deconstruct all the way to your home’s foundation in order to prevent damage in the future.

6. Inspect for Radon

Radon is another basement-specific concern. Testing for radon is relatively easy and inexpensive, however, it is important to address the issue sooner rather than later. If your radon levels are high, this should be mitigated during the construction process in order to develop a permanent solution.

7. Know Your Flooring Options

Carpet and engineered hardwood are classic choices for you basement floor material. Consider also tiling, cork flooring, and epoxy based on the purpose of the rooms you’re creating.

8. Introduce Ample Lighting

Basements have a bad reputation for being dimly lit. But this doesn’t have to be the case in your own home. With careful planning, you can make your basement just as cheery and inviting as the rest of your home. Install a mixture of lighting sources, including runway ceiling lights, ambient sconce lights, floor and table lamps, and, most importantly, the natural light provided by egress windows.

9. Add a Second HVAC System

Not all HVAC systems can span multiple floors, but in the case of a basement, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Adding a second HVAC system designed specifically to service your basement will allow you to control for natural temperature differentials to make every area of your home comfortable.

10. Plan Adequate Storage

Finally, be sure to create a basement floor plan that includes closets and built-in storage areas. Basements tend to become a catch-all storage area since they’re out of the way of your main traffic areas. Planning ahead for this purpose will enable you to store your possessions in an organized and functional manner. Design your space based on your current and anticipated future needs.

Following these steps will help safeguard the overall success of your basement remodel in Chicago, IL.